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Graphic Designer Essentials | Tools, Accessories & Resources I Use Every Day
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items This collection includes the tools, accessories, books, and resources I genuinely use and recommend. Whether you're just starting design school, freelancing, or building your dream creative workspace, these are the products that have earned a permane...
Sections
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Gather Inspiration
Video
Apps
Tools
Gather Inspiration
Not every idea starts inside Adobe. Some of my favorite branding concepts begin as quick sketches or random notes during meetings. I always keep a notebook nearby because creativity rarely waits for the perfect moment.
Dot Grid Spiral Notebook 7.5"x9.75" Poly Cover 80 Sheets Pastel Yellow - up&up™
It's just a pen... until you find one that feels perfect. Smooth ink, comfortable grip, and reliable enough that I always keep extras nearby. It's my go-to for planning projects, sketching layouts, and everyday notes.
Zebra Sarasa Vintage 5pk
Every designer should read this at least once. It completely changed the way I think about products, interfaces, and user experiences. You'll start noticing both great and terrible design everywhere you go.
The Design of Everyday Things - by Don Norman (Paperback)
This book helped me stop chasing "originality" and start building better creative habits. It's short, practical, and packed with reminders that inspiration comes from observing, experimenting, and making ideas your own.
Steal Like an Artist 10th Anniversary Gift Edition with a New Afterword by the Author - (Austin Kleon) by Austin Kleon (Hardcover)
Whenever I feel creatively stuck, I browse Creative Market. Not to copy ideas, but to study how other designers solve visual problems. Sometimes a fresh perspective is all it takes to spark a new direction.
Creative Market: High-quality Stock Photo, Graphics, Fonts ...
One of my favorite resources for high-quality free fonts. Great typography doesn't have to be expensive. Fontshare offers professional typefaces that work beautifully for branding, editorial design, and digital projects.
Fontshare: Quality Fonts. Free.
Whenever I work on packaging projects, this is one of my first stops. It showcases incredible packaging from around the world and reminds me how much storytelling can happen on a single box or label.
b02 - Packaging Of The World
If you love brand identity as much as I do, this is a goldmine. Every project includes thoughtful commentary about the strategy and execution behind the design.
BP&O - Branding, Packaging and Opinion
Video
As someone working in branding and editorial design, I found this video incredibly relevant. It reinforces something I remind myself often: great design isn't about chasing every new trend or tool. It's about developing strong creative thinking, unde...
How A Graphic Designer MUST Think in 2026 To Survive!
my inspration for desk setup
Digital Artist Studio Desk Tour 2024
As someone who spends most of my day designing, I'm always curious how other creatives organize their workspace. This office tour is a great reminder that productivity isn't about having the most expensive gear. It's about building a space that suppo...
a graphic designer’s desk setup & office tour
Apps
If design is your profession, this is probably where most of your day happens. Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign are still at the center of my workflow, helping me move from rough concepts to polished final designs with confidence.
Adobe Creative Cloud | Professional Creative Software
Design work isn't just about creating. It's also about staying organized. I use Google Drive to store project files, collaborate with teammates, and keep important assets accessible wherever I'm working.
Google Drive - App Store
this is the another app i explore right now
Figma: The Collaborative Interface Design Tool
Whenever I'm exploring new visual directions, Coolors is one of my favorite places to generate and refine color palettes. It's fast, intuitive, and surprisingly inspiring.
Coolors - The super fast color palettes generator!
Whenever I want to sketch ideas quickly or create illustrations on my iPad, Procreate is always my first choice. It feels natural, responsive, and incredibly fun to use.
Procreate — Creative apps designed for iPad
Tools
Makes drawing on iPad feel much more natural.
iPad Screen Protector for Paper-Feel Writing ... - Paperlike™ 3